Nutrient balance — Cropland phosphorus use efficiency in South Africa
South Africa: Nutrient balance — Cropland phosphorus use efficiency was 81.87 % in 2023. ▲ Rising
Nutrient balance — Cropland phosphorus use efficiency in South Africa, 1961–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, nutrient balance — cropland phosphorus use efficiency in South Africa stood at 81.87 %.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 22.4% on the previous year and up 24.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, nutrient balance — cropland phosphorus use efficiency in South Africa peaked at 84.43 % in 2005 and was at its lowest, 19.96 %, in 1983.
South Africa ranks 78th of 186 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Nutrient balance — Cropland phosphorus use efficiency in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 44.68 % | — |
| 1962 | 40.17 % | -10.1% |
| 1963 | 44.61 % | +11.0% |
| 1964 | 38.68 % | -13.3% |
| 1965 | 29.19 % | -24.5% |
| 1966 | 26.99 % | -7.5% |
| 1967 | 43.96 % | +62.9% |
| 1968 | 27.77 % | -36.8% |
| 1969 | 28.3 % | +1.9% |
| 1970 | 29.36 % | +3.7% |
| 1971 | 35.49 % | +20.9% |
| 1972 | 35.62 % | +0.4% |
| 1973 | 22.32 % | -37.3% |
| 1974 | 36.96 % | +65.6% |
| 1975 | 32.02 % | -13.4% |
| 1976 | 29.05 % | -9.3% |
| 1977 | 33.9 % | +16.7% |
| 1978 | 32.45 % | -4.3% |
| 1979 | 27.15 % | -16.4% |
| 1980 | 29.17 % | +7.5% |
| 1981 | 31.95 % | +9.5% |
| 1982 | 24.46 % | -23.4% |
| 1983 | 19.96 % | -18.4% |
| 1984 | 23.27 % | +16.6% |
| 1985 | 32.24 % | +38.5% |
| 1986 | 36.34 % | +12.7% |
| 1987 | 46.93 % | +29.1% |
| 1988 | 43.35 % | -7.6% |
| 1989 | 53.38 % | +23.1% |
| 1990 | 45.36 % | -15.0% |
| 1991 | 46.79 % | +3.1% |
| 1992 | 25.95 % | -44.5% |
| 1993 | 40.15 % | +54.8% |
| 1994 | 58.32 % | +45.2% |
| 1995 | 36.82 % | -36.9% |
| 1996 | 55 % | +49.4% |
| 1997 | 58.77 % | +6.9% |
| 1998 | 52.45 % | -10.7% |
| 1999 | 52.95 % | +0.9% |
| 2000 | 75.47 % | +42.5% |
| 2001 | 54.26 % | -28.1% |
| 2002 | 60.9 % | +12.2% |
| 2003 | 59.77 % | -1.9% |
| 2004 | 54.94 % | -8.1% |
| 2005 | 84.43 % | +53.7% |
| 2006 | 53.24 % | -36.9% |
| 2007 | 53.06 % | -0.4% |
| 2008 | 78.75 % | +48.4% |
| 2009 | 78.27 % | -0.6% |
| 2010 | 79.47 % | +1.5% |
| 2011 | 72.68 % | -8.6% |
| 2012 | 75.13 % | +3.4% |
| 2013 | 66.03 % | -12.1% |
| 2014 | 60.08 % | -9.0% |
| 2015 | 49.76 % | -17.2% |
| 2016 | 48.86 % | -1.8% |
| 2017 | 74.49 % | +52.5% |
| 2018 | 56.75 % | -23.8% |
| 2019 | 51.15 % | -9.9% |
| 2020 | 67.76 % | +32.5% |
| 2021 | 62.05 % | -8.4% |
| 2022 | 66.87 % | +7.8% |
| 2023 | 81.87 % | +22.4% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 81.87 % is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 67.89 %, 1.2× the median. (51 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 81.87 % is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 108.23 %, 76% of the median. (43 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 36.04 % | 26.99 % | 44.68 % | 9 |
| 1970s | 31.43 % | 22.32 % | 36.96 % | 10 |
| 1980s | 34.11 % | 19.96 % | 53.38 % | 10 |
| 1990s | 47.26 % | 25.95 % | 58.77 % | 10 |
| 2000s | 65.31 % | 53.06 % | 84.43 % | 10 |
| 2010s | 63.44 % | 48.86 % | 79.47 % | 10 |
| 2020s | 69.64 % | 62.05 % | 81.87 % | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More environment data for South Africa
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 5.46 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 8.52 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.275 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.05 °C (2025)
- Wood-based panels — Production, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 2.59 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), annual growth rate 0.2953 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is nutrient balance — cropland phosphorus use efficiency in South Africa?
- Nutrient balance — cropland phosphorus use efficiency in South Africa was 81.87 % in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest nutrient balance — cropland phosphorus use efficiency recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 84.43 % in 2005.
- What is the lowest nutrient balance — cropland phosphorus use efficiency recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 19.96 % in 1983.
- How does South Africa rank for nutrient balance — cropland phosphorus use efficiency?
- South Africa ranks 78th out of 186 countries with data for 2023.
- Is nutrient balance — cropland phosphorus use efficiency rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 24.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of Nutrient balance — Cropland phosphorus use efficiency. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO).
About this data
The Cropland Nutrient balance domain contains information on the flows of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium from mineral fertilizer, manure applied, atmospheric deposition, crop removal, and biological fixation over cropland and per unit area of cropland. The flows are aggregated to total inputs and total outputs, from which the overall nutrient balance and nutrient use efficiency on cropland are calculated. Statistics are disseminated in units of tonnes and in kg/ha, as appropriate. Nutrient use efficiency is expressed as a fraction (%).